1. Imagine being the best you could possibly be! You and your potential

2. Doug Parkin Programme Director, Leadership Foundation for Higher Education Aim of the session Bringing to life the challenge of achieving high levels of personal potential, this session will explore the types of interference that block and inhibit performance. To win the inner game requires a combination of personal commitment and the right relationships – liberating leadership can support people to address both of these areas

3. We all have… An innate capacity to learn A desire to be fulfilled
A joy in serving others

4. We all have… We often acquire… An innate capacity to learn
A desire to be fulfilled
A joy in serving others
We often acquire…
Learned helplessness
A concern to be secure
A competitive urge to serve ourselves

5. Are you… Doing what you set out to do?
Doing what you know you do best?
Doing the best at what you do?
Doing things for others as much as for yourself?
Learning through doing?

6. Good or bad? is the worst interference Just do it!
POTENTIAL
minus
INTERFERENCE
is equal to
PERFORMANCE
Good or bad? is the worst interference Just do it!

7. Types of interference Low inspiration Self-limiting beliefs
Deficit relationships
Pain language

8. Winning the inner game Low inspiration Self-limiting beliefs
Deficit relationships
Pain language
Carry inspiration with you
Empowering beliefs
Liberating relationships
Power language

9. Carry inspiration with you
Find things that actively inspire you...
Visit them frequently
Carry them with you all day long
The singer
The runner
The leader
The dreamer
The fighter
The winner

10. Empowering beliefs
Identity
Values
Beliefs
Think
Feel Do

11. Empowering beliefs Identity Values Beliefs Think Feel Do Core
Temporary
Values
Beliefs
Limiting
Supporting
P O T E N T I A L
Think
Feel Do

12. Liberating relationships
Deficit relationships
Liberating relationships
Cynical
Reinforcing negatives
Sharp, hard and sceptical
Resistant and destructive
Deflating
Never ready
Reluctant to engage
Narrative of can’t and won’t
Uncaring
Schadenfreude
Running people down
Little thought for consequences
Empathy
Tuning-in to emotional needs
Treating people accordingly
Considering others’ feelings
Compassion
Caring and considerate
Showing trust – building respect
Warmth and humour
Passion
Joy and excitement
Vision to create focussed goals
Infectious motivation (engaging)

13. Liberating relationships
Deficit relationships
Liberating relationships
Cynical
Reinforcing negatives
Sharp, hard and sceptical
Resistant and destructive
Deflating
Never ready
Reluctant to engage
Narrative of can’t and won’t
Uncaring
Schadenfreude
Running people down
Little thought for consequences
Empathy
Tuning-in to emotional needs
Treating people accordingly
Considering others’ feelings
Compassion
Caring and considerate
Showing trust – building respect
Warmth and humour
Passion
Joy and excitement
Vision to create focussed goals
Infectious motivation (engaging)
I wouldn’t bother. It’s a lot of work and no-one will thank you. Geoff’s new system is worse than the old one…
I know it’s better than you think. Come back to it fresh tomorrow and you’ll see. It’s impressive to see your commitment to this…

14. Pain v power language It’s never going to happen I have to I can’t
I choose not to
It’s a nightmare
Everyone dislikes me…
It’s a disaster
Jim and I need to work on our relationship
To achieve it I will do…
What’s the point
I want to
I don’t know what to do yet but…
Let’s learn from what we have done so far
I will come back to this later…

15. Pain v power language It’s never going to happen I have to I can’t
I choose not to
It’s a nightmare
Everyone dislikes me…
It’s a disaster
Jim and I need to work on our relationship
To achieve it I will do…
What’s the point
I want to
I don’t know what to do yet but…
Let’s learn from what we have done so far
I will come back to this later…

16. Our ‘explanatory style’ explains so much
“It’s me, it’s going to last forever, it’s going to undermine everything I do.”
“It was just circumstances, it’s going away quickly anyway, and, besides, there’s much more in life.”
Personalisation – when bad things happen, we can blame ourselves (internalise) or we can point to the facts of the specific situation or circumstances (externalise)
Permanence – people who give up easily believe the causes of the bad events that happen to them are permanent
Pervasiveness – some people can put their troubles neatly into a box and go about their lives even when one important aspect of it is suffering. Others bleed all over everything
(Martin E P Seligman, Learned Optimism, 1990)

17. To be the best you can be…
Talent – I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious
Persistence – Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence
Luck – Luck, the point at which opportunity and potential meet
Mindset – Argue for you limitations and they will be your limitations
Support – The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others

18. Persistence and commitment
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent
(Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States)
I’ve missed more than nine thousand shots. I’ve lost almost three hundred games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot, and missed

19. Persistence and commitment
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent
(Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States)
I’ve missed more than nine thousand shots. I’ve lost almost three hundred games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot, and missed
Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time

20. Winning the inner game Empowering beliefs Liberating relationships
Carry inspiration with you
Empowering beliefs
Liberating relationships
Power language
Liberating leadership

21. Liberating leadership
Inspiration
Inspires others through vision, care and commitment
Tunes-in to what inspires and motivates teams/individuals
Empowering beliefs
Has a steadfast belief in human potential
Looks to set aside self-limiting beliefs and interference
Liberating relationships
Uses empathy, compassion and passion as a core basis for authentic leadership
Power language
Sets the tone with a ‘power’ narrative that engages others

22. Students and their experience
Motivation
Relationships
Environment
Resources

23. Students and their experience
Social
Competitive
Fellow students
Intrinsic
Motivation
Relationships
Environment
Resources
Tutors
Extrinsic
Materials
Liberating leadership
Physical
Rich
Timely
Psychological
Flexible
Clear
Accessible

24. Liberating potential – just imagine…
We are inspired by a dream not a plan
Removing interference so that people can thrive
Creating organisations that people enjoy
Without commitment there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back and become less effective
With commitment comes certainty of action, joy in achievement/service and an awakening of potential
“Whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can’t, you’re probably right”
(Henry Ford)

25. Thank you for listening and participating
Have safe journeys...
in every sense
But have an adventure, too!

26. Leadership Foundation Programmes